ON THE INFLUENCE OF PROFESSION

UPON CHARACTE R.

Vol. I. page 15,-She proceeds→

individuality, ver any cha

"It is of great importance to obser ve, that the cha racter of every man is in some degree formed by his profession-a man of sense, may only have a cast of countenance that wears off, as you trace his while the weak, common man has scarcely e racter, but what belongs to the body; at 'east all his opinions have been so steeped in the vat conse 'crated by authority, that the faint spirit which the grape of his own vine yields, cannot be distinguished.

Society, therefore, as it becomes more enlightened, should be very careful not to establish bodies of men, who must necessarily be made foolish or vicious by the very constitution of their profession."

ON THE FALSE PRINCIPLES LAID DOWN IN FEMALE EDUCATION- ON THE MASCULINE QUALITIES.

P. 17. Women are told from their infancy, and taught by the example of their mothers, that a little knowledge of human weakness, justly termed cunning, softness of temper, outward obedience, and a scrupulous attention to a puerile kind of propriety, will obtain for them the protection of man, and should they be beau-> tiful, every thing else is needless, for at least twenty years of their lives."

REMARKS-Precious morality of mothers!-I should hope however, that there are many exceptions to this general rule, at least in the middle classes of society In the whole of this portrait, we do not see one feature of internal virtue, grounded on the principles of religion, and the sentiments of genuine honour.

P. 19. The most perfect education in my opinion, is such an exercise of the understanding, as is best calculated to strengthen the body, and form the heartOr in other words, to enable the individual to attain, such habits of virtue as will render it independent-In fact it is a farce to call any being virtuous, whose virtues do not result from the exercise of its own reason. * This was Rousseau's opinion respecting men-I extend

* Most true.

it to women, and conf dently assert, that they have been drawr, out of their sphere by false refinement, and not by an endeavour to acquire masculine qualities.'

CURIOUS PARALI

EL BETWEEN SOLDIERS AND LADIES.

"As for any depth of understanding (says M. Woolstoncraft) I will. venture to affirm, that it is as rarely to be found in the army as amongst women, and the cause I maintain is the same-Officers are particularly attentive to their per sons, fond of dancing, crowded rooms, adventures, .nd ridicule+- -Like the fair sex, the business of their .ves is gallantry-they are taught to please, and they onl y live to please-yet they do not lose their rank in the distinction of sexes, for they are still reckoned superior to women, though in what their superiority consists beyond what I have just mentioned, it is difficult

to discover."

P. 189. She observes, "If defensive war, the only justifiable war, in the present advanced state of society, where virtue can shew its face, and ripen amidst the rigours which purify the air on the mountain's top, were alone to be adopted as just and glorious, the true heroism of antiquity might again animate female bosoms— but fair and softly gentle reader-male or female-do not alarm thyself-for though I have contrasted the character of a modern soldier, with that of a civilized woman, I am not going to advise them to turn their distaff into a musket, although I sincerely wish to see the bayonet converted into a pruning hook."

VOLUPTUOUS REVERIES OF ROUSSEAU

LOVE.

-AMIABLE ANIMAL

P. 24. She proceeds, "Rousseau's character of Sophia is undoubtedly a captivating one, though it appears to me

She subjoins the following note-" Why should women be censured with petulant acrimony, because they seem to have a passion for a scarlet coat: Has not education placed them more on a level with soldiers, than any other class of men ?”

Mrs. Wolstoncraft is sufficiently severe on the manners of the military, but surely in such a large body as the army, there must be some pious, and many rational men, who look down with comparative contempt upon these entertainments.

grossly unnatural-Warmly as I admire the genius of that able writer, whose opinions I shall often have occasion to cite, indignation always takes place of admiration, when I read his voluptuous reveries-but for the present I wave the subject, and instead of severely reprehending the transient effusions of overweening sensibility, I shall only observe, that whoever has cast a benevolent eye on society, must often have been gratified by the sight of humble, mutual love, not diguified by sentiment, nor strengthened by a union in intellectual pursuits-yet has not the sight of this moderate felicity excited more tenderness than respect? An emotion similar to what we feel, when children are playing, or animals sporting,* whilst the contemplation of the noble struggles of suffering merit has raised admiration, and carried our thoughts to that world, where sensation will give place to reason."

PURITY OF HEART-CULTIVATION OF INTELLECT, THE FIRST STEP TOWARD MORALITY.

P. 29. A wiser than Solomon hath said, that the heart should be made clean, and not trivial ceremonies observed, which it is not very difficult to fulfill with scrupulous exactness, when vice reigns in the heartWomen ought to endeavour to purify their heart; but can they do so, when their uncultivated understandings, make them entirely dependent on their senses for employment; when no noble pursuit sets them above the little vanities of the day, or enables them to curb the wi emotions that agitate a reed, over which every passing breeze has power."

CHARACTER OF A SENSIBLE AND VIRTUOUS WOMAN IN THE STATE OF WIDOWHOOD.

P. 58. She is left a widow, perhaps without a sufficient provision, but she is not desolate-the pang of nature is felt; but after time has softened sorrow into

* Amiable animal tenderness, if resulting merely, from nature unexalted by principle--but if principle has been proved to animate the breast; however partial the portion of intellect, the character is truly respectable, although incapable of public utilityCompiler's note.

melancholy resignation, her heart turns to her children with redoubled fondness, and anxious to provide for them, affection gives a sacred heroic cast to her maternal duties- -She thinks that not only that eye sees her virtuous efforts, from whom all her comfort now must flow, and whose approbation is life! but I er imagination a little abstracted and exalted by grief, a wells on the fond hope, that the eyes which her trembling hand closed in death, may still see how she subdues every wayward passion, to fulfil the double duty of being the father, as well as the mother of her children-raised to heroism by misfortunes, she represses the first faint dawning of a natural inclination before it ripens into love, and in the. bloom of life forgets her sex-She no longer thinks of pleasing and conscious dignity prevents her from priding herself on account of the praise which her conduct demands Her children have her love, and her brightest hopes are beyond the grave, where her imagination often strays She lives to see the virtues which she endeavoured to plant on principles, fixed in to habits; to see her children attain a strength of character. sufficient to enable them to endure adversity, without forgetting their mother's example-The task of life thus fulfilled, she calmly waits for the sleep of death, and risin g the grave may say, "Behold thou gavest me a talent, and here are five talents."

P. 83.-ON GENIUS AND CHEARFULNESS.

from

"That habitual chearfulness, termed good hum our, is perhaps as seldom united with great mental powers as with strong feelingsAnd the people who follow with interest and admiration the flights of genius, or with cooler approbation, suck in the instruction which has been elaborately prepared for them by the profour d thinker, ought not to be disgusted, if they find the former choleric-and the latter morose-because livelines of fancy, and a tenacious comprehension of mind, are scarcely compatible with that pliant urbanity, which leads a man at least to bend to the opinions and prejudices of others, instead of roughly confronting them."

REMARKS. In the present constitution of nature, nothing seems perfect-the gifts of nature and of fortune are not usually poured without measure into the lap of any individualSome are entrusted with one talent,

and some with another-but in this state of things, nothing seems to have received the Creator's finishing strokeThe doctrine of " a new heavens and a new earth," is therefore not only a rational object of hope to man-but it is what might be expected from the wisdom and power of that Being, who will leave nothing unfinishedIn the present life, the gifts of heaven seem dispensed in such measure, as that "none may be supremely exalted, and none utterly contemptible"-but notwithstanding the helps derived from these, all nature is so marked with imperfection, as often to call the graces of patience and charity into exercise-graces which independent of a state, are indeed indispensible to the present well-being of society-but, alas! how weak is our nature, which in the absence of temptation, can admire and approve these things, and even fancy itself in possession of these virtues; but no sooner do strong provocations to anger occur, than resentment displaces both patience and charity-In benevolent and well principled minds, the seeds of mercy and forgiveness no doubt continue to exist, but their operations are almost universally overwhelmed for a season, by the influence of injury, or even opposition-It is a very great gift of Providence, that greatness of mind, which can remain unmoved by injustice, and even rise above it-which can perform the part, which religion requires its votaries to act, notwithstanding the inju ries from without, and the oppositions from within; but I hold it as true doctrine, however opposite to the dogmas of philosophy, that noman possesseth this power of himself, or can command it in perpetuity, by dint of reasoning or reflection Men whose genius may be compared to electric fire, and which in the composition of nature, may unite with other causes to give it birth, are frequently the last (although possessed of the clearest understanding of its value) to command this government-they are, as our Author remarks, usually choleric-they possess by nature an impetuosity which sometimes leads them astray-but supposing them to be men of good principles, their remorse for such deviations is usually more pungent; and their return to the paths of virtue more easily accelerated, than that of colder constitutions.

PAGES 158 & 159-ON TRUE MODESTY AND ITS SOURCE.

"I infer that those women who have most improved their reason, must have the most modesty; though a